Harry Mayer, who says ecology ‘needs to be sexy.’ (DPA Photo/Helen Maguire)

German Village Shows That Going Green Doesn’t Mean Going Without

Siebenlinden lies at the end of a dirt road leading out of Poppau, a rural village in Germany’s northeast. A handful of oversized houses meet the eye, supplemented by caravans and a jumble of parked bicycles, as lone figures brave the winter chill to carry out their chores.

The eco-village was founded in the mid-1990s by people who believe in the need for fundamental change to address issues such as climate change and oil dependency, and even the causes of the global economic crisis.

Their answers to these issues include firewood, compost toilets, photovoltaic electricity from sunlight and horsepower generated by horses. That, and communal living, plus the sharing of meals, work and even homes.

At the same time, the ethos at Siebenlinden is that you shouldn’t have to give up on comfort to live a sustainable lifestyle.

“We are living in full luxury, it is no discomfort at all,” said one resident, Elke Wiegand, as she sat by the roaring fireplace in her home, wearing a strappy top on a chilly December day.

The village owns an agricultural field, as well as 46 hectares of forest, providing firewood and building material. Almost 120 people live in Siebenlinden, of whom a third are children.

They believe sustainability is not just about reducing oil dependency and living in harmony with nature, but also about the way people interact and value each other as individuals.

Roughly half the villagers live in one of five “neighborhoods” in which families, couples and individuals live jointly under one roof, sharing cooking and living facilities.

The others still live in caravans, until they are ready to club together and build their own homes.

The village is an all-consuming enterprise, meaning people give up their jobs to take on roles in the community, from cutting trees for firewood to coordinating the extensive seminar program and teaching visitors from around the world about sustainable living.

Over the years, the residents have clubbed together to form five neighborhoods, each sharing a specific set of ideas and values. The most radical of these neighborhoods is Club 99, whose members eschew materialism and go furthest to live sustainably.

They follow a vegan diet, cutting out any animal produce such as milk and eggs, and for a long time lived without electricity or telephones.

Club 99 built its first shared house relying entirely on tools powered by man or by horses, using nothing but locally sourced materials.

The construction took four years, and people who heard about the project traveled from afar to take part. One of these was Harry Mayer, a 37-year-old carpenter who stayed on and joined Club 99.

While Mayer does not expect people to change their lifestyle from one day to the next, he believes it is important to recognize the consequences.

“That one steak on your plate doesn’t kill the rain forest and doesn’t kill the world. But the tons of meat people eat all over the world every day, that is killing the rain forest, definitely. And everyone knows it,” he said.

Asked whether a small group of people in the German countryside can really solve the world’s problems, most people at Siebenlinden reply that change is slow, incremental and has to begin at home.

“The fact that we use firewood to generate warm water and heating, for example, that is not transferable. We can do it here because we happen to have a forest, but it is not sustainable,” Mayer said.

Mayer does not consider himself to be radical, and admits he could reduce his consumption a lot more. However, he thinks its also important to know where to draw the line.

“Ecology also needs to be sexy, you can’t lose your enjoyment of life in the process,” Mayer said.

Those who give up too much are not inspirational to others, he added. “They are the real eco-crazies.” DPA

Your View

See Result